Fishing with Least Bitterns

BirdNote^®
Fishing with Least Bitterns
Written by Bob Sundstrom

This is BirdNote.

[Least Bittern calls and wetland ambi, ML 343195121]

Herons come in an assortment of sizes. The largest in the U.S., the Great Blue Heron, stands four and a half feet tall. The smallest by far is the Least Bittern, at just ten to twelve inches tall.

You’ll often find a Least Bittern straddling the stems of tall reeds in a marsh. Grasping a cluster of stems in the long toes of each foot, they suspend themselves over the edge of the marsh a foot or more above the water.

Watching for prey, bitterns lean forward while pulling their long necks back — like drawing a bowstring. Their needle-like bills dart out when they spot a fish.

[Least Bittern calls and wetland ambi, ML 343195121]

During the nesting season, Least Bitterns bend clusters of reeds into platforms to perch on and hunt from. Like any good angler, if they have luck fishing in one spot, they’ll keep reusing it.

    [Least Bittern calls and wetland ambi, ML 61746871]

Vulnerable to birds of prey, Least Bitterns rely on their camouflage of rust, buff, and dark green plumage. Stretching their necks upward, parallel to the upright reeds, they sway slowly, imitating the reeds moving in the breeze.

Least Bitterns are experts at staying hidden, which makes encountering one even more exciting.

For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.

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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Least Bittern ML 343195121 recorded by Nick Tepper and Least Bittern ML 61746871 recorded by Jay McGowan.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2025 BirdNote   01-2025         
Narrator: Ariana Remmel

ID# LEBI-01-2025-01-06    LEBI-01